Wyoming Federal Judges Sentence Two Men For Meth, Counterfeiting

Wyoming federal judges recently sentenced two men for counterfeiting and methamphetamine crimes, according to a news release from the Wyoming U.S. Attorney's Office.

In the first case, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Nancy Freudenthal on Wednesday sentenced Mario Thomas Escajeda, 48, of Littleton, Colo., for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
He received five years, 10 months of imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.

Escajeda was the last of six defendants in a multistate methamphetamine conspiracy investigated by the Cheyenne Police Department and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

In the second case, U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl sentenced Bill Frank Blanchard, 53, of Escondido, Calif., for manufacturing counterfeit obligations.

Blanchard received three years, one month of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $80 in restitution and a $100 special assessment.

Court records say this case started in Laramie on June 10 when a Goodwill store reported a man passed a $20 bill. Four days later, Wyoming Downs reported women who knew Blanchard attempted to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.

On June 15, Blanchard and the two women checked out of a motel where $20 counterfeit bills were later discovered to pay for their stay.

Four days later, a Laramie Police officer went to another motel and spoke to Blanchard. A search of that room resulted in the seizure of a copier/scanner/printer, other equipment used in counterfeiting, and bogus bills.